Mazzarri after strong finish

Walter Mazzarri has brushed off talk of Champions League qualification, but says focus is on ending the season strongly.

Walter Mazzarri has brushed off talk of Champions League qualification, but says focus is on ending the season strongly.

La Beneamata sit fifth in Serie A, 11 points behind Napoli in third spot in the table, but in improved form of late.

However, heading into this weekend’s Nerazzurro battle with Atalanta, the team’s Coach is not moving focus from beyond the here and now.

“Atalanta play good football, they have some quality players and they're also free of any pressure because they've already ensured their top-flight status,” Mazzarri has told reporters today.

“They're tough opponents and this is a game we must approach very carefully. Atalanta are a bogey team for lots of sides.

“We have to perform to the best of our ability because they'll be giving it a good go.

“There are no easy games in Italy. You have to respect all the teams and approach every match with the same level of concentration.

“We must focus first and foremost on ourselves because we've seen that when we're on the top of our game we can make life difficult for anyone.

“We mustn't think about anything else right now. We'll see where we are come the end of the season.

“Where could Inter have improved? There have been times when we've made the wrong choice on the edge of the box when given the option of shooting or passing – we even did that against Verona. It's something we've sought to fix this week.

“In terms of our season, we got off to a strong start then went through a spell when we dropped too many points by drawing games we could have won.

“There are lots of reasons for it, lots of incidents that penalised us, but in such an unusual season I think the team's progress can still be considered excellent.

“The way we end this year will be important for us going into the next season.”